Learning To Let Go: How To Deal With Separation From Your Children

When your children are babies, it's near impossible to imagine being away from them for even a moment. Not just because, for a lot of parents, it's impossible to even leave the room without their kids screaming the house down. For many parents, the idea of being separated from their children can be incredibly difficult and frightening. Unfortunately, it's something that you're just going to have to come to terms with. As children grow, they need more independence, that's just a fact of life. Not only that but it's a good thing too! It helps them understand their place in the world better and learn to stand on their own two feet. However, that's not to say that it's always easy, for either of you. Here are some things that you can do to make any periods of separation just a little easier.

Make sure they're in a positive environment

The most common reason for the separation between a parent and child is when the parent has to go back to work. When this happens, it can be incredibly worrying for a parent when they think about whether or not their child is in a happy, positive environment. Finding the right child care centre isn't always easy, even places that are wonderful might not be the right fit for your child, but it's important to find a place where you know they'll be happy. This not only sets your mind at ease but it also ensures that they'll understand that being away from you doesn't always have to be an unpleasant experience. The same goes for things like babysitters or visiting relatives. By showing them how positive time away from you can be, both you and your children are much less likely to feel anxious about it.

Build up to it

When you've spent the first few years of your child's life being practically inseparable, it can be pretty jarring to find yourselves suddenly separated for hours at a time. That's why it's a great idea to build up to that kind of thing. Leave your child with a friend that you trust and take a few hours for yourself once in awhile. That way both you and your child can learn that being separated needn't be the end of the world. Depending on how both you and your child feel about being separated, this might be a process that takes quite a long time, but it's much better to take that time than to try and do it all at once.

Talk to your child about what they've been doing

As much as you'll want to use the time that you have with your child to do lots of fun things and really make the most of it, it's important to create positive associations in their mind with the time that they spend away from you. That way they're much less likely to feel anxious or afraid during periods of separation. Talk to them about what they do while they're away from you. Allow them to talk excitedly about their day, their new friends, and the kinds of things that they do every day. Not only will it give you a whole new perspective on your child's life, but it will help bridge that gap between the time they spend with you, and the time they spend out in the world.